The majority of library systems in the United States use a platform called Overdrive for both ebooks and audiobooks.

Libby will even tell you how long to expect before your hold comes in. But libraries are truly the best source of books, no matter what format you’re in the market for. If you’ve read any of my previous book-related guides, I’m probably beginning to sound like a broken record with this one. Still, there are other options for ebook-listening, even if a cursory Google search won’t reveal them. The platform’s prowess also means publishers are reticent to avoid Audible in its entirety to do so would be to opt out of a huge chunk of potential sales. At a base level, it’s problematic that Amazon protects its audiobook files with DRM - thereby allowing readers only to enjoy their books if they stay locked into Amazon’s platform.Īmazon’s general monopolization of the internet makes it even more difficult to break out of Audible’s vicious cycle - most internet roads lead back to Audible.

And as Audible has grown, so too has the magnitude of its issues for both consumers and authors. In the decade or so since Amazon acquired Audible for $300 million, the service has grown to include billions in revenue every year, essentially cornering the entire audiobook market.

Amazon audio books